Friday 4 – Friday 11 July 2014
Day 1 (Friday 4)
Coach to London via Ackworth left Harrogate at 9.45 am. A picnic lunch was had en route with 3 NV champagnes. Flight to A Coruna with Vueling from Heathrow was an hour late. Met at A Coruna airport and driven to the Parador in Santiago de Compostela for a 5 nights stay. Had snacks, beer & cava at the bar before turning in at about midnight.
Day 2 (Saturday 5)
Breakfast at the Santiago Parador
- Drive ro Melide
- 10 km walk on the Camino de Santiago
- Lunch at Casa Brandariz in Ribadiso (2 wines)
- Drive to Santiago
- Santiago city tour
- Dinner at Taberna do Bispo (3 wines)
- Overnight Parador
At the start of the camino in Melide
Coffee at halfway mark
Lunch At Casa Brandariz In Ribadiso
Santiago Cathedral
Tapas Dinner At Taberna do Bispo In Santiago
Day 3 (Sunday 6)
- Guided tour of Pazo Rubianes followed by wine tasting (1 wine)
- Tour of A Grove
- Sea food lunch at d’Berto, voted the best sea food restaurant in Spain (6 wines)
- Drive to Santiago
- Mass and Botafumeiro in the Cathedral
- Snacks and drinks at wine bar O Beiro (3 wines)
- Overnight Parador
Pazo Rubianes
Seafood Lunch At d’Berto
At Wine Bar O Beiro in Santiago
Day 4 (Monday 7)
- Drive to Cambados
- Vineyard/winery visits with viticulturist at Martin Codax. Tasting of 7 wines with chief winemaker followed by lunch
- Drive to Santiago
- Overnight Parador
Day 5 (Tuesday 8)
- Visit, tasting and lunch at Pazo Senorans (4 wines)
- Return to Santiago
Pazo de Senorans Lunch
Home-made pie, Millefeuilles stuffed crêpes, Galician octopus, Galician scallop, Warm salad of Scallops and prawns with Tagliatelli of vegetables in a soft balsamic vinegar, Albariño Hake filet with mushrooms and potatoes boulangère, Sweet crêpes, Coffees and infusions, Orujos Pazo de Señorans. (Wines: D. O. Rias Baixas Pazo de Señorans, mineral water, coffee)
Day 6 – Wednesday
- Drive to Valdeorras
- Vineyard visit, al fresco tasting and lunch with Telmo Rodriguez (9 wines)
- Drive to Bierzo
- Tour of Roman gold mines
- Dinner at Mendez (2 wines)
- Overnight Posada Las Donas el Portazgo in Villafranca
Day 7 – Thursday
- Vineyard visit and tasting with Ricardo Palacios (4 wines)
- Tasting and lunch at Casar de Burbia in Carracedelo (5 wines)
- Great dinner at the rustic local restaurant Meso Don Nacho (Gin, 3 wines & brandy)
- Overnight Posada Las Donas el Portazgo in Villafranca
Day 8 – Friday (Warm & sunny)
- Drove to A Coruna and caught the Vueling flight to London Heathrow
- Driven back to Harrogate via Ackworth
- Picnic supper on route with bread, cheese and ham from Galicia washed down with Albarino and Australian Riesling
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Wines of Telmo Rodriguez: (1) Gaba do Xil Godello 2013, (2) Gaba do Xil Mencia 2012, (3) As Caborcas 2011, (4) Branco Sta. Cruz 2011, (5)As Ermitas 2013, (6) A Falcoeira 2013, (7) LZ 13, (8) Lanzaga 2009, (9) Altos Lanzaga 2010, (10) Las Beatas 2011, (11) Pegaso Pizarra 2010, (12) Pegaso Granito 2009, (13) Molino Real 2009, (14) Old Mountain 2005
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Fact File
Eating Out in Santiago de Compostela
Manuel Ruzo of Artnatura in Santiago de compostel suggests:
- Restaurante Pedro Roca (gastronomic) http://www.pedroroca.es
- Restaurante Carretas (fish and seafood, traditional) https://plus.google.com/103862595563333355897/about?gl=es&hl=es
- Taberna do Bispo (this one more casual, tapas style ) http://www.atabernadobispo.com
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Further Reading:
- Rafael Palacios, As Sortes 2011 Valdeorras by Jancis Robinson http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201305091.html
- Cheese from Galicia: The land of two thousand rivers… of a million cows… where rain is art… Say what you like about Galicia–that dazzlingly green corner of Spain up on the cold, damp Atlantic coast–they know about milk. And they know how to turn it into cheese. John Barlow goes in search of the best examples. http://www.foodsfromspain.com/icex/cda/controller/pageSGT/0,9459,35868_6865989_6910562_4662898,00.html
HMWS Blog 
Dr. Stephen Cameron wrote on 12 July:
“Ann and I greatly enjoyed our week in Galicia. The accommodation was really good and the Parador a historic and appropriate place for us to stay as we walked on the Camino de Santiago. The meals were all enjoyable, the initial Tapis and wine on the second night, and the wine bar Tapis, also the final dinner in Villafranca stand out.
Our welcome by the wineries was really superb, all took time to spend with us, often the owner or winemaker, and sometimes giving three or four hours of their valuable time. The many wines were all worth tasting and many were outstanding.
The two most memorable visits were to Pazo de Senorans, the restored Manor House was elegant, furnished with well used but beautiful furniture from the early 1800s and the wines, hospitality and superb lunch really outstanding. Equally memorable in a different way was the hours spent with Telmo Rodrigez and his partner in their vineyards and the open air tasting followed by a rustic Galician lunch highlighting the great sea food of the region. To welcome us he had come from Madrid and gave up five hours.
Birding was limited by the great visits and ample wine but both Black and Red Kites, a single Bonelli’s Eagle and a Short-toed Eagle, with smaller raptors such as Lesser and Rock Kestral, Hobby and Sparrow Hawk were seen with the occasional interesting Warbler such as Dartford and Bonelli’s Warbler.
So it was a wonderful trip, first rate visits and everywhere we were welcomed by friendly people, thanks for the hours put in by you to ensure its arrangements. The group was small but all added to the enjoyment, we know them so well and we thank them for their wonderful company.”
Stephen
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Prof. Charles Joslin wrote on 13 July:
“Welcome back and pleased to read you had a great time.”
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Carole Wood wrote on 18 July:
“Once again another fabulous wine & cultural tour, this time to Galicia & Bierzo in N W Spain, which I very much enjoyed. In fact, I haven’t stopped raving about the area and the trip since I arrived home. We were very well received at all the wineries that we went to and both owners and winemakers gave freely of their time to talk to us and explain their philosophy on wine making.
The highlights of the tour for me were the visit to Pazo de Senorans, the “rescued” manor house where we had an excellent tasting and an equally excellent lunch; then the visit to the vineyards, via Santa Cruz, followed by lunch in the vineyard of Telmo Rodriguez and Pablo Eguzkiza. What could be better than sitting in the shade of the trees and tasting the wine produced from the vines that we were overlooking!! The visit to Martin Codax was also remarkable because both the winemaker and the estate manager spent a lot of time with us, we also had an excellent tasting in their vineyards followed by lunch at the winery.
Everyone was so welcoming and I would like to go back, one day, Galicia really is the “hidden gem ” of Spain.
So thank you Bernard for all your hard work in organising the trip for us, what would we do without you? It is because you have made such a lot of good contacts, in the wine world, over the years, that we as a wine society have access to the wineries that we visit with you.
Thanks also to all my fellow travellers for their company and friendship, we did have a good time, didn’t we?”
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Maria Otero of Martin Codax wrote on 11 August 2014:
“For everybody here in the winery, specially myself, it was a great pleasure and an honor to have the opportunity to share with you that day, to show you our winery and to taste with you our range of wines.
It will be fanstastic to meet all of you again next year!
Many thanks and best regards.”
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Andrea Pardo of Pazo Senorans wrote on 12 August:
“Thank you so much for your email telling us you have enjoyed your time with us during the visit. Also, It was a pleasure for us to have you here and we really like to receive you again next year in august.
Thank you for all the beautiful words you dedicate to us.”
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Looks like a wonderful trip. Galicia and El Bierzo are a feast for the senses. Saludos!
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Thank you.
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